Bad: Cubicle
Better: Office
Best: Whatever works best for you.
Best: Whatever works best for you.
Bad: Meetings without agendas.
Better: Meetings with agendas.
Best: Meetings whose need is so obvious to everyone that no agenda is needed.
Bad: Specs, waterfall, Systems Development Life Cycle.
Better: Prototyping, agile, scrum.
Best: Developers with enough domain knowledge to just build it.
Better: Prototyping, agile, scrum.
Best: Developers with enough domain knowledge to just build it.
Bad: No documentation.
Better: Documentation.
Best: No documentation needed.
Better: Documentation.
Best: No documentation needed.
Bad: No formal process.
Better: Formal process.
Best: People so much bigger than their jobs so that process is rarely relied upon.
Better: Formal process.
Best: People so much bigger than their jobs so that process is rarely relied upon.
Bad: Theory without experience
Better: Experience without theory
Best: Both
Better: Experience without theory
Best: Both
Bad: Help desk without programmers.
Better: Programmers available to customers.
Best: Code that just works.
Better: Programmers available to customers.
Best: Code that just works.
Bad: Phone calls
Better: Emails
Best: Application software that encapsulates required communication
Better: Emails
Best: Application software that encapsulates required communication
Bad: Code with early exits.
Better: Code without early exits.
Best: Code so simple because of the underlying data structure that the early exit debate is moot.
Better: Code without early exits.
Best: Code so simple because of the underlying data structure that the early exit debate is moot.
Bad: Bugs
Better: Fixes
Best: Enough 9's to never notice.
Better: Fixes
Best: Enough 9's to never notice.
Bad: programmer error
Better: user error
Best: What's an error?
Better: user error
Best: What's an error?
Bad: Missing deadlines
Better: Hitting deadlines
Best: A track record so good that deadlines are never given
Better: Hitting deadlines
Best: A track record so good that deadlines are never given
Bad: Complex org chart
Better: Simple org chart
Best: Technology so sophisticated, less people are needed
Better: Simple org chart
Best: Technology so sophisticated, less people are needed
Bad: Non-technical boss
Better: Technical boss
Best: No boss
Better: Technical boss
Best: No boss
Bad: Management
Better: Leadership
Best: Self-motivation
Better: Leadership
Best: Self-motivation
Bad: Best practices, with a Capital "B" (industry standards)
Better: best practices, with a small "b" (what we figured out)
Best: Just do your job.
Better: best practices, with a small "b" (what we figured out)
Best: Just do your job.